Poop United Airlines loses a 10 year old child... - Page 3

**The Franchise** · 08-15-2012, 02:18 PM

As a parent.....I'd murder someone if this happened to my kid.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...ost-child.html

Airline loses couple's 10-year-old daughter

The parents of a 10-year-old girl in the U.S. have made public details of the appalling service they got when United Airlines "lost" their daughter midway through her trip from San Francisco to Traverse City, Mich., for summer camp.

Annie and Perry Klebahn of San Francisco have made public a complaint letter to the airline detailing how the company lost track of their daughter, Phoebe, on a June 30 flight during a transfer at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The journey would become a harrowing one for the family involving a byzantine set of phone calls to locate their missing child as well as her luggage.

Phoebe was expressedly told “only go with someone with a United badge on and that she would be accompanied at all times,” according to the couple.

The Klebahns were worried when the camp in Michigan called to say their daughter had not arrived.

According to the letter, Annie Klebahn called a customer line which connected her with United’s service centre in India. After a 20-minute wait, the person on the line told the Klebahns that their daughter had arrived in Traverse City. When Annie Klebahn got upset, she was put on hold again – for 10 minutes – and was then told Phoebe was indeed in Chicago and had missed her connection.

Meanwhile, Perry Klebahn, who is a United Premier member, had called a different line – getting hold of a customer service representative in the U.S.

She told him the “unaccompanied minor service" in Chicago “forgot to show up” to transfer Phoebe to the next flight.

The Klebahns said in their complaint letter they had never been told “that United outsourced the unaccompanied minor services to a third party vendor. “

When he begged the person to locate his daughter, she said she was going off shift and could not help. He pleaded with her, asking if she was a mother. When she said yes, he asked what would she do if she couldn’t locate her child for 45 minutes. In 15 minutes, the employee found Phoebe.

In speaking with their daughter, the Klebahns discovered:

When Phoebe landed, no one was there to get her.
The attendants told their daughter they could not help her and to wait.
She asked three times to use a phone and they told her to wait.
Phoebe then missed her flight and informed a United employee and asked them to make sure the camp in Michigan knew she was late. She was told United would “take care of it.”

Phoebe managed to arrive four hours later – sans luggage. That marked yet another saga for the Klebahns, who say they sent camp officials to the airport in Michigan five times before the luggage arrived.

The Klebahns asked for a refund of the $99 charge for the unaccompanied minor service – they had paid the camp $25 every time to go to the airport for the luggage.

The couple filed a formal complaint with the airline in mid-July and addressed a letter to the airline’s CEO. At the time, the couple could not get a response concerning their complaint.

The Klebahns called it their worst customer service experience, ever – spending an estimated 18 hours on the phone.

When local news in San Francisco took an interest in the Klebahn’s story in August, the airline responded. And on Aug. 13, company officials released a statement saying they had apologized to the family and are “reviewing the matter."

“What the Klebahns describe is not the service we aim to deliver to our customers. We are redepositing the miles used to purchase the ticket back into Mr. Klebahn’s account in addition to refunding the unaccompanied minor charge”

**BigMeatballDave** · 08-15-2012, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

Really? wow.

Why is this surprising?

siberian khatru · 08-15-2012, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ElGringo

I also think a huge difference between now and when some of you flew alone, parents or relatives could accompany and meet you at the gate. These days you have to have a ticket to get past the security checkpoint.

Exactly. I remember my grandparents rushing right out onto the tarmac to greet me coming off the plane (no jetway that year). Thereafter, they were right there at the gate.

trndobrd · 08-15-2012, 03:29 PM

I won't trust United with a checked bag full of my socks and underwear.

**BigMeatballDave** · 08-15-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vailpass

That part makes it seem safer to me.

Not me.

That security can't stop pedophiles.

BIG_DADDY · 08-15-2012, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

Why is this surprising?

Well I don't have a 13 year old but that seems surprising to me. Maybe I will feel different when my boy is that old. I would think they would be fine at that age.

vailpass · 08-15-2012, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

Not me.

That security can't stop pedophiles.

Parents get a pass to go through security with their kid and escort to gate and watch them get on the plane. Airline employee escorts the kid from landing to meet with the people picking the kid up.
I hear you though, any time you turn a kid loose in public there is the danger.

**BigMeatballDave** · 08-15-2012, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vailpass

Parents get a pass to go through security with their kid and escort to gate and watch them get on the plane. Airline employee escorts the kid from landing to meet with the people picking the kid up.
I hear you though, any time you turn a kid loose in public there is the danger.

If I could watch my son get on a plane and have his mother or stepdad watch him get off the plane, on a direct flight only, I could be okay with it.

vailpass · 08-15-2012, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

If I could watch my son get on a plane and have his mother or stepdad watch him get off the plane, on a direct flight only, I could be okay with it.

Yeah, I'm still nervous each time we do it.

08-15-2012, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tooge

Note to parents. Don't send kids under the age of 15 on flights by themselves. If you do, then don't be pissed off that they miss flights and show up to the final destination late.

For an camp, yeah - agree. But my daughters have flown 40-50x due to crazy mother who ripped them away and moved halfway across the country. Never had a single problem and the fee was less than half that $99.

**Rain Man** · 08-15-2012, 04:59 PM

This story sounds bad, but the truth is that United Airlines' lost child rate is only about 1%, and over half of those are eventually found.

Superbowltrashcan · 08-15-2012, 05:25 PM

In hindsight, looks like they should have invested in a prepaid phone. Tell that kid to turn it on as soon as they arrive in Ohara and preload it with the camp phone number as well. My kids never go to Denver to visit the ex without a phone...

chiefzilla1501 · 08-15-2012, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tooge

Note to parents. Don't send kids under the age of 15 on flights by themselves. If you do, then don't be pissed off that they miss flights and show up to the final destination late.

What?

So maybe parents shouldn't send their kids to daycare. And maybe they should blame themselves when their kid ends up missing?

This logic doesn't make any sense. This service is there for a reason. And it's especially true if they pay for it.

United had a contractual agreement to take care of the kid. They didn't. The parents can sue out the ass if they want to and they would win big.

vailpass · 08-15-2012, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

This story sounds bad, but the truth is that United Airlines' lost child rate is only about 1%, and over half of those are eventually found.

JD10367 · 08-15-2012, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by qabbaan

This was horrible customer service and obviously a major screw up by united's vendor, but I don't see any reason to believe the kid was in danger. They were supervised by united employees the whole time. The parents didn't know where the kid was but the kid wasn't wandering around Chicago alone. It's hard to even say the parents have been injured here except the kid missing their flight.

I'll go out on a limb here and say you don't have kids or, if you do, you don't have girls.

I don't have kids, either. But even I know better than to think they'd be fine. This world is full of sickos.

vailpass · 08-15-2012, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superbowltrashcan

In hindsight, looks like they should have invested in a prepaid phone. Tell that kid to turn it on as soon as they arrive in Ohara and preload it with the camp phone number as well. My kids never go to Denver to visit the ex without a phone...

Good catch. They sent a 10 year old kid alone on a plane with no cell phone. The parents failed on this count.

08-15-2012, 02:18 PM
The Franchise Most Valuable Villain Join Date: Dec 2006 Casino cash: $3195047	United Airlines loses a 10 year old child... As a parent.....I'd murder someone if this happened to my kid. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2...ost-child.html Airline loses couple's 10-year-old daughter The parents of a 10-year-old girl in the U.S. have made public details of the appalling service they got when United Airlines "lost" their daughter midway through her trip from San Francisco to Traverse City, Mich., for summer camp. Annie and Perry Klebahn of San Francisco have made public a complaint letter to the airline detailing how the company lost track of their daughter, Phoebe, on a June 30 flight during a transfer at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The journey would become a harrowing one for the family involving a byzantine set of phone calls to locate their missing child as well as her luggage. Phoebe was expressedly told “only go with someone with a United badge on and that she would be accompanied at all times,” according to the couple. The Klebahns were worried when the camp in Michigan called to say their daughter had not arrived. According to the letter, Annie Klebahn called a customer line which connected her with United’s service centre in India. After a 20-minute wait, the person on the line told the Klebahns that their daughter had arrived in Traverse City. When Annie Klebahn got upset, she was put on hold again – for 10 minutes – and was then told Phoebe was indeed in Chicago and had missed her connection. Meanwhile, Perry Klebahn, who is a United Premier member, had called a different line – getting hold of a customer service representative in the U.S. She told him the “unaccompanied minor service" in Chicago “forgot to show up” to transfer Phoebe to the next flight. The Klebahns said in their complaint letter they had never been told “that United outsourced the unaccompanied minor services to a third party vendor. “ When he begged the person to locate his daughter, she said she was going off shift and could not help. He pleaded with her, asking if she was a mother. When she said yes, he asked what would she do if she couldn’t locate her child for 45 minutes. In 15 minutes, the employee found Phoebe. In speaking with their daughter, the Klebahns discovered: When Phoebe landed, no one was there to get her. The attendants told their daughter they could not help her and to wait. She asked three times to use a phone and they told her to wait. Phoebe then missed her flight and informed a United employee and asked them to make sure the camp in Michigan knew she was late. She was told United would “take care of it.” Phoebe managed to arrive four hours later – sans luggage. That marked yet another saga for the Klebahns, who say they sent camp officials to the airport in Michigan five times before the luggage arrived. The Klebahns asked for a refund of the $99 charge for the unaccompanied minor service – they had paid the camp $25 every time to go to the airport for the luggage. The couple filed a formal complaint with the airline in mid-July and addressed a letter to the airline’s CEO. At the time, the couple could not get a response concerning their complaint. The Klebahns called it their worst customer service experience, ever – spending an estimated 18 hours on the phone. When local news in San Francisco took an interest in the Klebahn’s story in August, the airline responded. And on Aug. 13, company officials released a statement saying they had apologized to the family and are “reviewing the matter." “What the Klebahns describe is not the service we aim to deliver to our customers. We are redepositing the miles used to purchase the ticket back into Mr. Klebahn’s account in addition to refunding the unaccompanied minor charge”
Posts: 91,944

08-15-2012, 03:29 PM	#33
trndobrd 'Stachecicle Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: The Tolerance Box Casino cash: $5025087	I won't trust United with a checked bag full of my socks and underwear. __________________ "I don't really think there is a need to raise or debate this point." -jAZ
Posts: 7,074

08-15-2012, 04:59 PM	#40
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3408491 VARSITY	This story sounds bad, but the truth is that United Airlines' lost child rate is only about 1%, and over half of those are eventually found. __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,213

08-15-2012, 05:25 PM	#41
Superbowltrashcan Starter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: South JoCo Casino cash: $3606406	In hindsight, looks like they should have invested in a prepaid phone. Tell that kid to turn it on as soon as they arrive in Ohara and preload it with the camp phone number as well. My kids never go to Denver to visit the ex without a phone...
Posts: 544